Rotary motor



May 24, 1938. O. AD LARSEN 2,118,253

' ROTARY MoT'oR Filed Dec. 5,1955 2 Sheets-Sheet l gmt/who@ May 24, 1938. o. A. LARsEN' v 2,118,253

ROTARY MOTOR Filed Dec. 5, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 24, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ROTARY llIOTOR Application December 5, 1933, Serial No. 700,940

3 Claims.

My invention relates to rotary motors and has for its object to provide a newl and efficient rotary motor which. i's adapted to many uses either for automobile or stationary uses and which will be highly eicient and which will be so constructed as to overcome the usual defects in so called rotary motors such as lack of speed and little power.

A further object is to provide a rotary internal combustion engine which will have the firing and combustion chamber between vanes and with non-used spaces therebetween to allow for cooling ofthe motor.

A still further object is to provide a rotary internal combustion engine whichv will have the combustion chamber so spaced between vanes that the compressed fuel will be fired between the vanes and which firing and explosion will drive directly onto the shaft or axis unless the speed is retarded, therebyl giving great power and speed to the engine as this makes possible a rotative power not heretofore found in any of the commonly called rotary motors.

In most types of rotary motors of the internal combustion type, the explosion. of the fuel drives against a vane which is set radial from the rotor and this action does not permit for either power or speed development, while with my motor the` fuel is compressed between two vanes, the rotor body and the casing, and the flring isA directed to all sides which transmits the power down onto the axis of the rotor. thereby developing more power. With my engine I provide a firing head tangential to the top of the rotor and which head allows for longer firing andr greater development of power. Further', the compression of the fuel between the two vanes, the rotor body and the casing provides for greater compression of the fuel, a higher compressionmotor and greater power from the same amount of fuel. Further, the directing ofthe fuel from the center of the rotor outwardly into the compression chamber between the two vanes provides positive fuel feed, with no loss of fuel and no loss of power, due to having to force the fuel into the compressiony chamber as is the case with other types of rotary motors or engines of this type.

The centrifugal action of the rotor draws the Im. fuel from any suitable carburetor much as the movement of a piston in the usual type of internal combustion engine of the piston and crank shaft pattern and this centrifugal action draws fuel and air into the compression chamber before 55 the compression takes place, thus eliminating (Cl. 12S- 16) many parts heretofore thought necessary in rotary internal combustion engines and motors.y

With my method of firing the fuel at any'point along the tangential head or'before dead center is reached, the greater speed so desired in rotary engines may be obtained. To use only one spark plug and fire from one position would be to somewhat limit the. speed of the motor, but if that plug were movable to beyond the vertical diameter of themotor, or away from theV said diameter then the spark would be advanced ory retarded as desired, and rather than complicate the mechanism of my engine andY to prevent leakage of compression in the firing chamber I. have accomplished the same results by the use of morethan one spark plug and the firing. of these plugs may be from any point desired either advanced, retarded, or all plugs fired simultaneously; or in sequence as might be necessary or desirable.

These objects I accomplish with the device il'.- lustrated in the accompanying drawings in which similar numerals and letters of4 reference indicate like parts throughout the several viewsl and as described in the specification forming a part of this application and pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings in which I have shown thev best and most preferred manner of building my' invention Figure 1 is an end elevation of the motor with the end plate and cam race removed to show the firing chamber, the compression casing and they rotor in elevation.

Figure 2 is a face view of the removed plate showing the cam racesV cut therein, and the stepcut which forms the side walls of the firing and compression chambers.

Figure 3 is a side view of the motor from the. exhaust side showing exhaust openings.

Figure 4 is a side view of one of the vanes.

Figure 5 is a face view of one of the vanes.

Figure 6 is a vertical section throughY the valves which provide fuel and which cool the ring chamber during exhaust.

Figure '7 is a perspective View of the rotor re,- moved from the outer casing with the vanes in place, but with the valves removed.

Figure 8 is a section diametrically through the device.

Figure 9 is a diagrammatic view of the device-to show the firing, compression and intake positions of the vanes.

Figure 10 shows the compression, exhaust and intake in an advanced stage over that shown in Figure 9.

CIT

Figure 11 is a section on line II-II of Figure 6.

Figure 12 is a view of the intake manifold and distributing pipes.

In my engine I have shown the rotor of the engine as A, the outer casing as B, and the side walls as C.

The outer casing B of the engine is made of a peripheral casting having one transfer portion I concentric with the rotor A, one compression and intake portion 2 as a curve gradually increasing in diameter and joined to the portion i with the diametrical distance increasing until this portion joins an exhaust curved portion 3 also somewhat increased in diameter and this portion is then joined to the compression portion I by a tangential at surface 4. The peripherai wall of the exhaust portion 3 of the device is provided V with ports 5 through which exhaust gases are passed and cooling air enters the device.

The drive shaft D of the engine is attached concentric to the solid back side of the rotor A by bolts I5a or other suitable means and extends therefrom to any desired connection.

The side walls C of the engine are provided with flat outer surfaces and the inner surface is provided with an extension flange 8 therearound, the flange having a step face 3 thereon formed to exactly fit concentric onto a small edge'portion AI of each side of the rotor A, and the rotor A is provided with an annular groove I cut therearound along each edge of the perimeter of the rotor to carry a compression ring II therein the outer surface of the ring II to engage the step face 9 of the sides C. These sides then close the entire engine and the flange portion provides the side walls of the firing, exhaust, and compression divisions of the engine cycle. Each side wall is centrally perforated, one side to allow the intake manifold and cam shaft 53 to pass therethrough and the other side to allow the drive shaft D to pass therefrom.

The rotor A of the motor is formed of an outer shell or annular flange I formed to a flat back side I6 andV the drive shaft is attached to this back side I6. The rotor is then divided into six sections, three power sections I8, i9, and 20,'and three cooling intermediate sections 2 I, 22 and 23. Guide members 24, 25 and 26 form the dividing factor between the sections and each member is provided with a slot 2l therein through which the roller shafts 32 which operate the vanes are passed. The two adjacent ends of two adjacent members are parallel with each other, thus placing the slots 2l in parallel pairs.

The outer periphery of the annular flange I 5 is provided with transverse slots or openings 28 extending across the face thereof entirely through the flange from near one side to near the other side and the operating vanes 3U of the device are passed through said slots and operate in and out of said slots. Each vane is provided with sufficient length to extend out enough to engage the inner periphery of the casing B at any position thereof and each vane is provided with a stub shaft 32 on each side thereof near the bottom inner end thereof, said stub shafts to pass through the slots 2'iin the members 24, 25 and 26, and the outer ends of each shaft carries a roller VL:33, said rollers to actuate the vanes by operating :which the rollers 33 operate, and the rollers carried on the stub shafts on the advance vanes of any pair of vanes are carried in the outer race 35 and the rollers on the shafts on the rear vanes operate in the race 35.

The vanes of this engine operate in pairs as shown in the drawings and the advance vanes E form the front face of each compression or firing chamber El and the back vane F forms the back of the compression or ring chamber El. The compression and ring chamber mentioned above, being that space designated as EI between the vanes, is the same chamber being used for compression to compress the fuel when in part of the cycle of the rotor and then becoming the firing chamber when it has advanced to a point where it contacts the spark plugs and the compressed fuel is ready for ring to attain the power for the rotor. Thus, the compression and ring take place only between the pairs of vanes, the portion of the rotor which is between the vanes and the inner face of the outer case which is at that time between the two vanes. The back side I6 of the rotor A is also provided with slots therethrough, through which the stub shafts of the vanes pass to allow the rollers to operate in the cams on the back plate of the engine. These slots through the back I6 are identical in form and shape to the slots 2l through the guide members 24, 25 and 26, and are in direct alignment therewith and parallel thereto and are made to allow the shafts 32 to pass through the back I5 so that the rollers 33 may operate-in the cam races in the plate C. Thus each vane is actuated by a set of rollers operating in like cams on each side of the motor balancing the action of the vanes and holding them in proper position at all times. When the plates 24, 25, and 26 are in place they form parallel portions between the straight end portions thereof and a partition 40 is formed therein to make the intake and air cooling chambers 4I and 42. A wall 43 separates these two chambers, the wall being at right angles to the base of the partition 4B and extending out to the inner face of the Y flange I5, of the rotor.

In the spaces or openings 45, 46, and 47 between the parallel portions of the members 24, 25 and 25, I then mount my valves for controlling the intake and the scavenging and cooling features of my invention. The intake valve stem a passes through the partition 43 and the valve 53 seats in a port or valve opening 49 in the outer face of the perimeter of the rotor ange I5 between the two vanes. The air cooling valve stem 5I a passes through the same partition 43 radially in alignment with the valve stem 50a and the valve 5I on the end of the stem acts as a scavenging valve and seats in a port 52 in the perimeter of the flange I5 set like the port 49.

A cam shaft 53 operates through the center of the rotor and has cams 54 and 55 to actuate the valves 53 and 5I respectively. The. air cooling chamber 42 is made with a pipe 56 connecting the bottom side thereof with the perimeter of the rotor through the flange I5 on the opposite side of the rotor in one of the spaces between the sets of vanes, and the air compressed in the motor between the vanes E and F in this section of the rotor is forced through the pipe 56 and out of the opposite side of the rotor in the space between the vanes to aid in exhaust and cooling of the engine.

An intake manifold 58 is provided with three radial pipes 53 to direct the fuel into the three intake chambers 4I with the cam shaft 53 passing out through the turned end of the manifold and a1 side pipe Sii leads to: any source; of fuel or carburetor desired.

As shown` in the drawingseachV vane may be provided with sealing members H commonly called rings which engage the inner surface of the casing Bat all times, to prevent leaking of the fuel from the space between the vanes. As willY be obvious, the casing A mayv be made semicylindrical iny an annular form and the end of the vanes made to rit with. the ends of the vanes formed in a half circle with a semi-circular sealing ring tted thereinto.

Asl shown in Figures 9A andl 10 the positions of the sets of vanes will clearly illustrate the different positions for intake, compression, ring expansion and exhaust. The two'vanes shown as 0L in Figure 9 are beginning compression and they move inthe second Figure l tothe full compression position ready for advanced firing or the firing may be delayedl until they reach dead center or pass therebeyond as desired. When the spark plug is fired the firing expansion stroke is in effect and this continues a-s the two vanes move out along the tangential head until they reach the extreme end of the head at which time the two vanes are drawn away from the tangential head and start down through the exhaust cycle. This is the end of the expansion or power stroke of the motor. They then attain the position shown as b in Figure 9 which is the end of the power stroke and in Figure 10 the set b have reached the middle of the exhaust stroke. In Figure 9 the set c have completed the exhaust stroke and are commencing to draw in the fuel or are at intake position which they continue until the position shown in Figure 10 as c where the intake is finished and the compression is again ready to'start to compress fuel. The cycle of movement is then continued through the positions shown as a, b, and through c again continuously.

As will be seen by the form of the cams the back vane F is held in after leaving the firing chamber when the exhaust stroke is commenced and continues in this slightly retarded position until the end of the exhaust cycle is completed and the intake cycle commences at which position the vane engages the inner periphery of the casing B. Spark plugs S re the compressed fuel between the vanes E and F, the plugs being inserted through the casing B in the portions I and The rotor A of the motor is provided with an annular groove or depression around its perimeter and the space in the perimeter between the vanes E and F, shown as 65 in Figures 7 and 8 of the drawings. This is the compression chamber into which the fuel is compressed for the power of the engine.

The operation of my motor is as follows:-

Fuel is introduced into the rotor through the supply pipe B and th-e intake manifold 58 and pipe 59 into the fuel intake chamber 5l. This fuel then passes through the port or valve opening 49 around the valve 59 into the space Ei between the rotor A, the casing B, the side walls C, and the two vanes E and F. As the rotor is turned through the compression portion 2 and transfer portion I this fuel is compressed between these two vanes, the rotor and the casing until the rotor has advanced to the desired firing position at which time that spark plug S desired, is fired, any spark plug being used depending upon whether advanced firing or slow firing is desired. This explodes the compressed fuel which expands against the tangential head il', between the two vanes andforces down, onto the perimeter ofi the rotor and. throws the rotor forward in: its pathY of travel. The fuelf exploded continuesto expand untili'ts power is completely used throughv the firing cycle until theexhaust ports 5: are brought into open communication with the space: between the vanes at which` time the fuel is passed out through theports 5f until a point beyond the endof the ports is reached andv thel intake portion of the casing; is reached at which time the cam- 54, opens the intake valve and more fuel. is allowed to enter the spaceElf. This cycle is continued as the motor is rotated. Each set of vanes accomplishes alike result, compresses the fuel there.- between, takes the rotative power of theexploded' fuel until the forward vane E has left the face of the portion and opened the exhaust ports 5; As the rotor is turned the vanesE and F are controlled in. their respective positions by the rollers 33 riding in the camraces EF1-ancl- Bi. As an aidy in. coolingl the motor, and also aiding in exhausting the spent gases from the space El between the vanes E and F, air is forced from the space between the vanes E and F through the pipes 56 into the chambers 42, through the Valves 5I and their openings 52 which valves are open during this cycle of operation, and out through the space E! and the ports 5 into the atmosphere. This air is slightly compressed until the valves 5| are opened at which time the air passes through the space El and the valves 5I are timed to open when the rotor has turned sufficient to allow the rst vane to pass beyond the upper exhaust port 5. The compression of the fuel takes place between each two pair of vanes E and F at all times and the power is applied between the vanes but the ring or compression never takes place between any vanes which are not substantially parallel to each other and in close proximity. The vanes do not have to be parallel to each other but they must be substantially so and spaced close together.

Having thus described my invention I desire to secure by Letters Patent and claim:

l. In a rotary motor of the class described, the combination of a rotor having a drive shaft extending from one side thereof; a casing in which said rotor is carried with the casing having one portion tangential to the arc of the rotor and that tangential portions joined by a curved portion of said casing to form a completed casing; spaced apart pairs of vanes carried in said rotor extending through the side walls thereof to engage the inner face of the casing; sides for said casing each having cam races cut therein; rollers carried on said vanes to engage said cam races and actuate the vanes to hold them engaged against the casing as necessary; an intake valve between each pair of vanes; a scavenging valve mounted between each pair of vanes adjacent said intake valve, said valve to admit compressed air to clean out the burnt gases between the vane and to also aid in cooling the working chambers of the motor; a cam shaft to actuate said valves; and pipes leading from the scavenging valve across the rotor and out the opposite side thereof to receive compressed air from the space between pairs of vanes and drive this air out through the space between vanes on the opposite side; and means to introduce fuel into the space between said vanes, said fuel being compressed and red therein to drive the rotor.

2. In a rotary motor of the class described, the combination of a rotor; pairs of spaced apart vanes mounted in said rotor to move in and out in said rotor; a casing surrounding said rotor with one side of said casing formed tangential to said casing to provide a portion against which 5'v the exploded gases may expand and press to 10 side of the inner endrof said vanes carrying rollers with the rollers to operate in said cam races; an intake Valve in said rotor between each pair of vanes; a scavenging valve mounted in said rotor between each pair of vanes; means to introduce lo' fuel into the space between each pair of vanes through said intake valve; pipes connecting the scavenging valve with the opposite side of said casing at a point betweenl two pairs of valves to allow air to pass through said pipes and out said 20 scavenging valve to force the burned fuel from between the pair of vanes which has just been utilized; a cam shaft carrying cams thereon and mounted in said casing and rotor, concentric with said rotor, said cams to actuate said intake and scavenging valves; and an intake manifold to introduce fuel centrally to said rotor with radial pipes to carry said fuel to said intake valves.

3. In a rotary motor of the class described, the combination of a rotor; pairs of spaced apart vanes mounted in said rotor to move in and out of said rotor; a casing surrounding said rotor with one side of said Casing formed tangential to said casing to provide a power portion against which the exploded gases expand to cause the rotor to turn; sides for said casing each being provided with cam races in the inner faces thereof, said races to control the position of said vanes; means on each Vane to operate in said races to control the position and movement of said vanes; an intake valve in said rotor between each pair of vanes; means to introduce fuel into the space between each pair of vanes through said valves; a cam shaft centrally through said rotor and casing to operate said valves; and means to fire said fuel when it has been compressed between said pairs of vanes.

OLE ALONZO LARSEN. 

